But even if adolescents appear more mature, drinking alcohol is still not safe for them, researchers say. The study in Child Development aimed to discover why adolescents who go through puberty early are more likely than their peers to drink alcohol. “A surprising proportion of parents in our study allowed their early-developing children to drink alcohol at the age of 14—in fact, one in seven,” says Rebecca Bucci, a doctoral candidate in criminology at Penn State University. “It is important to remember that early puberty does not mean the child is more advanced in cognitive or brain development. They are not older in years or more socially mature. So allowing them freedoms common for young adults is risky.”